Flocking machine and method



July 11, 1961 K. ROBERTS ET AL 2,992,126

FLOCKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Nov. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Kenneth Rolaerts Silas Carlyle Peterson,

July 11, 1961 K. ROBERTS ET AL 2,992,126

FLOCKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Nov. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 37 7 INVENTORS Kenneth Roberts 34 5 Silas Carl le Peterson ATTORNEYS July 11, 1961 K. ROBERTS ETAL FLOCKING MACHINE AND METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 29, 1957 INVENTORS Kenneth Roberts Silas Caryle Peterson 7' ATTO NEYS July 11, 1961 K. ROBERTS ETAL 2,992,126

FLOCKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Nov. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FLOCK/NG ZONE F1 12 A I H g i H I I H I L L .1

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INVENTORS 52 M Kenneth Roberts 1 1 7. 14 Silas Car-Z Ze Peterson ATT RNEYS United States Patent Oifice 2,992,126. Patented July 11, 71961 2,992,126 FLOCKING MACHINE 'AND METHOD Kenneth Roberts, East Providence, and Silas Carlyle Peterson, Barrington, R1, assignors to International Industrial Developers, Inc., Providence, 11.1., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Nov. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 699,798 16 Claims. (Cl. 117-17)= This invention relates to the application of axially elongated fibers to articles that have adhesive surfaces to which the fibers will adhere upon contact to form a pile on such surfaces, and more particularly to improvements in electrostatic methods of applying such fibers, in which the fibers are supplied to a support between superposed electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode, and in which an electric potential is impressed across the electrodes which will charge and polarize the individual fibers so that one end is attracted to the nearest electrode and the other is repelled therefrom, causing the fibers to assurne vertical positions and at the same time to lose by conduction the charge from the end attracted to the lower electrode and to be propelled axially toward the upper electrode and toward a downwardly facing adhesive pile receiving surface interposed between the electrodes.

The method of the present invention produces a uniform pile on angularly disposed faces of an article by repeatedly moving said article in such manner as to cause its angularly disposed faces to be moved between the electrodes laterally of the path of vertical movement of the fibers and also to have movement angularly toward and away from positions normal to said path.

By the method of the present invention a denser and more uniform pile is produced by moving the adhesive faces to which the fibers are being applied intermittently into and out of the electric field, so that fibers which do not reach the adhesive faces but which are held by attraction to adhered fibers will be caused to lose their electrostatic charge and fall by gravity from the adhered fibers, thereby clearing a path for additional fibers to be projected into engagement with the adhesive faces when they are again brought between the electrodes.

To accelerate the orientation and propulsion of the fibers and to insure that loose fibers will quickly lose their electrostatic charge when moved out from between the electrodes, the fibers are preferably rendered highly conductive by moistening them with an electrolyte solution as they are being fed into the electric field. By making the fibers highly conductive, fibers adhering to nonadhesive surfaces of the article or electrode, or to other fibers due to their electrostatic charge, will instantly lose their charge by conduction upon interruption of current flow or when moved out from between the electrodes.

The apparatus of the present invention, although not essential to the practice of the process, provides a convenient means for performing the steps of the process, particularly the manipulation of the article to which the pile is being applied, to shift the adhesive surfaces into and out of the electric field, to move them angul arly to insure an even application of fibers, to control the current and to dislodge loose fibers from the article and its carrier.

Objects of the invention are to apply a uniform, dense pile on faces of an article that are angularly disposed to one another, to intermittently shift the adhesive faces out of the electric field to prevent matting and treeing of the fibers due to their electrostatic charges, and to .accelerate the orientation and propulsion of the fibers toward the adhesive faces, to insure instantaneous loss of electrostatic charge upon removal of fibers from the electric field, and to provide a machine for eifectively performing the required operations.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the flocking chamher with a portion of a wall broken away to show the flock conveyor and article carrier;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line indicated at 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through the carrier, through the upper electrode and article to be coated, the flock supporting belt and the lower electrode;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the carrier and a portion of the overhead supporting track;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a rotatable article carrying electrode and the means for rotating it;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the centering pin that supports one end of the electrode;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section through the combined electrode and article support taken on the line indicated at 77 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 a fragmentary plan view showing the toothed conductor rail and the star wheel on the carrier that is rotated by engagement with the teeth of the rail to drive gearing connecting it to the carrier electrode to rotate the electrode and also to provide a conductor between the electrically charged rail and the electrode;

FIG. 9 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale through the carrier electrode and the rubber article supported thereon;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary end elevation of the flocking chamber showing the air jets adjacent the discharge end of the chamber for treeing any loose fibers from the article and adjacent parts of the carrier;

FIG. 11 is a transverse section through an article to be flocked which may be a rubber channel strip that is adapted to serve as a guide for a window pane;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the path of the carriers and the operating stations;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view of the receiving end of the flocking chamber, showing the flock feeding and flock moistening means; and

FIG. 14 is a view showing the spraying nozzles for appiying adhesive to the surfaces of the article to which the pile is to be applied. The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the invention in which an elongated cabinet A provides a substantially closed chamber in which the flocking operation is performed. Within the cabinet A there is mounted an endless belt B which provides a support for the flock which is applied to articles supported on carr-iages C which travel through the cabinet A above the belt B and which are supported on an overhead track D. The flock, which is preferably composed of synthetic fibers cut to uniform length, is fed from a feed hopper E to the belt B and applied to articles carried by the carriers C during the passage of the carriers through the flocking chamber.

The cabinet A is supported by suitable standards 1 and has side walls 2 with lower portions 3 that taper downwardly to provide a hopper-shaped bottom. The cabinet 1 as a top wall 4 that is provided with a central slot 5 extending longitudinally from end to end thereof, and end walls 6 and 7 are provided with openings 8 and 9 to'per mit entrance and exit of the carriers C. The bottom of the cabinet is provided with conveyor screws 10 and 11 which extend from opposite ends of the cabinet to an intermediate outlet to a blower 12 which delivers the fibers through a conduit 13 to a cyclone separator that is provided with a filter bag outlet at the top and that discharges into the flock feed hopper E.

The endless belt B is supported on an end roller 16 adjacent the entrance end of the cabinet and an end roller 17 at a higher level adjacent the discharge end of the cabinet. The upper run of the conveyor is horizontal throughout the major portion of its length, being provided with a supporting roller 18 at the same level as the end roller 17 and positioned adjacent and inwardly of the hopper E to provide the belt with a short inclined receiving portion 19 onto which the fibers are discharged from the hopper E, which is provided with suitable feeding means such as a screw 20 for feeding the fibers [from the hopper to the belt.

The lower run of the belt B passes over longitudinally spaced supporting rollers 22 and 23 between which the belt is preferably crossed so that flock is carried first on one side of the belt and then on the other. Between the rollers 18 and 19 the belt is supported on a plate 24 which also serves as an electrode which may be conveniently grounded to the cabinet by means of transversely disposed metal supporting bars 25.

Each carriage C is provided with spaced vertical nonconductive supporting bars 26 that are adapted to be received in the slot 5 in the top wall of the cabinet A and that are suspended from trolleys 27 that run on the flanges 28 of the overhead track D. An article supporting frame 29 is attached to the lower ends of the suspension bars 26 and the frame 29 has a downwardly and rearwardly extending forward end 30 that carries a vertical bearing portion 31 in which a vertical shaft 32 is journaled. Adjacent its upper end a star wheel 33 is attached to the shaft 32 which has a suitable driving connection such as spiral gearing 34 to a horizontal stub shaft 35 journaled in the lower end of the bearing portion 31. The shaft 35 is provided with a collet 36 which has a driving crosspin 37. The collet 36 supports one end of a combined supporting fixture and electrode 38 which consists of an elongated metal tube 39 and an externally convex plate 40 that extends throughout the major portion of the length of the tube 39 and which is welded to the tube 39. The tube *39 is provided with a transverse slot 41 in one end thereof which receives the pin 37 when said end of the tube is inserted in the collet 36.

The frame 29 has a downwardly extending rear end 42 which slidably receives a horizontal centering pin 43 that engages with the rear end of the tube 39, the centering pin being provided with a spring 44 which presses it toward the tube 39 to hold the tube in engagement with the collet 30. The spring pressed centering pin permits sufficient axial movement of the pin 43 to permit the fixture 38 to be quickly and easily detached from the frame 29.

A guide bar 45 formed of a poor conductor such as wood, extends longitudinally of the cabinet A along one side of the path of travel of the carriages C for engagement with the upper end of the shaft 32, the guide rail 45 being supported from the top 4 of the cabinet by means of insulating bars 46. A longtudinal rail 47 of electrically conductive material is supported from the top wall 4 by vertical and inclined insulating bars 48 and 49. The rail 47 is provided with spaced teeth 50 in the form of pins projecting upwardly therefrom and, during the travel of the carriage C past the'rail 4.7, the star wheel 33 engages with the pins 50 to impart rotation to the shaft 22 and through the spiral gearing 34 to the supporting fixture 38. The rail 47 serves as a conductor and is connected to a high potential source by means of a suitable lead 51.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the article to which the fibrous pile is to be applied, may be in the form of a rubber glass run channel 52 having a base portion 53 and flanges 54, 55 and 56 projecting from one face of said base portion. The base 53 is provided at its opposite edges with retaining flanges 57 and the supporting plate 40, which is of a width to be received between the flanges 57, has a convex outer face which bows the base 53 and spreads the flanges 54, 55 and 56 to facilitate the application of flock to the angularly disposed faces of the flanges and base.

During passage through the flocking chamber, the star wheel 33 engages with the driving pins or teeth 50 of the rail 47 and impart rotation to the fixture 38 about the axis of the tube 39. As soon as the star wheel engages with the pins 50, an electrical potential is impressed across the electrodes 24 and 38, causing fibers on the belt B to be oriented to a vertical position and be propelled axially toward the electrode 38. The rotation of the combined electrode and article carying fixture 38 moves the article 52 intermittently into the space between the electrodes and also causes the faces of the article 52 to which the flock is to be applied to be moved angularly with respect to the path of travel of the fibers, so that each of the surfaces moves angularly toward and away from positions normally in the path of travel of fibers during each passage of the article through the space between the electrodes.

During the travel of a carriage C along the rail 47 an electrical connection between the rail 47 and the electrode 38 is made through the teeth of the star wheel 33 and the spaced pins 50 on the rail 47 and this connection is interrupted each time one of the teeth of the star wheel moves out of engagement with a pin 50 for the short period required for the next adjacent tooth of the wheel to be moved into contact with a pin 50 and impact of the star teeth against the pins 50 imparts a jarring motion to the electrode 38 and the article carried thereon upon each interruption of the current which is accentuated during portions of each revolution of the article due to the eccentricity of the article with respect to its axis of rotation.

The track D is preferably an endless track and the carriers C may be propelled along the track D by suitable means such as an endless chain 58 positioned below and parallel to the track D and attached to the suspension bars 26 of the carriers. The carriers are moved through the flocking cabinet and past a loading and unloading zone 59 and a spraying zone 60, where spray nozzles 61 apply a suitable adhesive to the flanges 54, 55 and 56 and to the bottom of the channel between the flanges 54 and 55.

An atomizing spray nozzle 62 is positioned to discharge an electrolyte solution in the form of a mist upon the fibers being discharged from the hopper E onto the receiving portion 19 of the belt B, the nozzle 62 being connected by a pipe line 63 to a tank 64 which contains an electrtolyte solution, a pump 65 being provided for delivering the solution to the nozzle 62. Various electrolytes may be employed which in the quantities used will not have a deleterious effect upon the fibers or upon the belt or fiber feed mechanism Within the cabinet A. A sodium chloride solution has been found to be particularly suitable because of its low cost and its high conductivity. The nozzle 62 may also be used to wash the parts within the cabinet with which the electrolyte comes in contact and to this end the nozzle may be connected to a fresh water line 66 by means of valves 67 and 68.

Adjacent the exit end of the cabinet A, nozzles 69 may be provided which are connected to a low pressure air line 70 and arranged to direct jets of air against the fixture 38 and the article 52 to which the fibers have been applied, so as to dislodge any loose fibers from the article and its supporting fixture.

During operation of the machine, fibers such as rayon fibers of substantially uniform length are continuously fed from the hopper E to the receiving portion 19 of the continuously moving belt B and are carried on the belt over the electrode 24 and beneath the traveling carriers C which carry the combined article supports and electrodes 38. The electrodes 38 are connected through the star wheel 33, conductor rail 47 and lead 51 to a suitable source of high potential current such as a unidirectional radio frequency current of from 10,000 to 50,000 v olts. The potential impressed between the carriage electrodes 38 and the grounded electrode 24 causes the fibers to be projected toward the electrodes 38 and 'to be applied in the form of a dense pile on the adhesive coated surfaces due to the movement of the article repeatedly into and out of the electric field, the angular movement of the adhesive coated faces while passing through the field, the periodic interruption of current and accompanying jarring action on the article and the electrode to which it is attached that results from the engagement of the star wheel with the rack as has been explained above.

It is to be understood that in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, variations and modifications of the specific devices herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim is:

. 1. The herein described method of applying a pile composed of elongated fibers to an elongated article having longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile retaining faces which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed elongated substantially parallel electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface between said electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, positioning said article above said supporting surface and parallel to said electrodes, and moving said article angularly with respect to a longitudinal axis to repeatedly move said angularly disposed adhesive faces laterally over said supporting surface between said electrodes and intermittently into and out of the electric field between the electrodes to relieve electrostatic attraction beween fibers and angularly toward and away from positions normal to the direction of movement of said fibers.

2. The herein described method of applying a pile composed of elongated fibers to an elongated article having longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile retaining faces which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed elongated subs'tantially parallel electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface between said electrodes and adjacent the lower electrodes to cause fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, positioning said article above said supporting surface and parallel to said electrodes, and imparting an orbital movement to said article about a longitudinal axis to repeatedly move said angularly disposed adhesive faces laterally over said supporting surface and out of the electric field between said electrodes to relieve electrostatic attraction between fibers and angularly toward and away from positions normal to the direction of movement of the fibers.

3. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical "potential across two superposed electrodes, .supplying said fiber to as'upporting surface between the electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause the fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrodes, and moving said article repeatedly into and out of the space between said electrodes to intermittently shift said adhesive surface into and out of the path of the upwardly moving fibers and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes.

4'. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface between the electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause the fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, and repeatedly moving said article orbitally around the upper electrode and into and out of the space between said fiber supporting surface and said upper electrode and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes to form a pile composed of said fibers on said adhesive surface and to intermittently relieve electrostatic fiber to fiber attraction.

5. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed electrodes, moistening said fibers with an electrolyte solution to increase their conductivity, supplying the moistened fibers to a supporting surface between the electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause the fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, and moving the article repeatedly into and out of the space between said supporting surface and said upper electrode and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes to apply the fibers incrementally to said adhesive surface and to intermittently deenergize the fibers and break fiber to fiber adhesion.

6. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two elongated substantially superposed electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface, moving said supporting surface longitudinally over the lower of said electrodes and adjacent thereto to cause the fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, conveying said article longitudinally over said supporting surface, and simultaneously moving the article orbitally around the upper of said electrodes repeatedly during its travel along said lower electrode to intermittently pass it into and out of the electric field between said electrodes and into and out of the path of the upwardly moving fibers to apply fibers incrementally to said adhesive surface and to intermittently relieve electrostatic fiber to fiber attraction and release fibers not adhered to said adhesive surface.

7. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having angularly disposed faces to which said fibers will adhere which comprises supplying said fibers to a supporting surface that travels longitudinally over and adjacent to an elongated electrode member, supporting said article on a second elongated electrode, disposing said second electrode parallel to the first and above the same, impressing an-electrical potential across said electrodes, and rotating said second electrode and the article supported on it as a-unit about a longitudinal axis laterally offset with respect to said adhesive surfaces to repeatedly move said adhesive surfaces into and out of the space between said electrodes and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes and angularly with respect to the path of the upwardly projected fibers during each movement through the space between the electrodes.

8; The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having angularly disposed faces to which said fibers will adhere which comprises supplying said fibers to a supporting surface that travels longitudinally over and adjacent to an elongated electrode member, supporting said article on a second elongated electrode, disposing said second electrode parallel to the first and above the same, moving said second electrode over the lower electrode and past the same, impressing an electrical potential across said electrodes during the travel of said second electrode over the lower electrode, and rotating said second electrode and the article as a unit about a longitudinal axis laterally offset with respect to said adhesive surfaces to repeatedly move said angularly disposed adhesive surfaces across the space between said electrodes and into and out of the electric field between the electrodes and angularly with respect to the direction of travel of the upwardly projected fibers during each movement across said space.

9. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface between the electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause the fibers to be electrically charged and projected toward the upper electrode, moving said article orbitally around the upper electrode and repeatedly into and out of the space between said fiber supporting surface and said upper electrode and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes, and intermittently interrupting the current flow between said electrodes during each orbital movement of said article.

10. The herein described method of applying axially elongated pile forming fibers to an article having an adhesive surface which comprises impressing an electrical potential across two superposed electrodes, supplying said fibers to a supporting surface between the electrodes and adjacent the lower electrode to cause the fibers to be electrically chargd and projected toward the upper electrode, moving said article orbitally around the upper electrode and repeatedly into and out of the space between said fiber supporting surface and said upper electrode and into and out of the electric field between the electrodes, intermittently interrupting the current flow between said electrodes during each orbital movement of said article, and jarring said article upon each interruption of current.

11. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to an adhesive surface on an article which comprises spaced superposed upper and lower electrodes, a support for fibers over and adjacent the lower of said electrodes, means for supplying axially elongated fibers to said support, means for impressing an electrical potential across said electrodes to electrically charge fibers on said support and propel them upwardly toward the upper electrode, means for supporting the article above said support with its adhesive surface facing said support and for moving it repeatedly into and out of the electric field between said electrodes and into and out of the space between said fiber support and said upper electrode.

12. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to an adhesive surface on an article which comprises an elongated chamber, an endless belt extending longitudinally within said chamber, means for supplying axially elongated fibers to said belt, an elongated electrode member in said chamber beneath said belt and adjacent thereto and extending longitudinally thereof, a support for the article including a second electrode to which the article is attached, means for moving said support longitudinally through said chamber along a path directly above and spaced from said belt, means for impressing an electrical potential between said electrodes during the travel of the upper electrode over the lower electrode, and means for repeatedly moving said article alternately into and out of the space between said electrodes and into and out of the electric field between said electrodes during its travel through said chamber.

13. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile receiving faces of an elongated article which comprises spaced superposed elongated electrodes disposed in substantially parallel relation, a support for fibers over and adjacent the lower electrode, means for supplying axially elongated fibers to said support, means for impressing an electrical potential across said electrodes to electrically charge fibers on said support and propel them upwardly toward the upper electrode, means for supporting said article in a position extending longitudinally of said electrodes and above said support for orbital movement about a longitudinal axis offset with respect to said article, and means for moving said article about said axis to move said faces repeatedly across the path of the upwardly moving fibers and into and out of said electric field be tween said electrodes and to vary the angularity of said faces during their movement across said path.

14. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to an elongated article having longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile retaining faces which comprises an elongated chamber, an endless belt extending longitudinally of said chamber, an elongated electrode in said chamber extending longitudinally beneath said belt and adjacent thereto, a carrier mounted to travel through said chamber parallel to and over said belt, an elongated electrode mounted on said carrier in a position parallel to said lower electrode for rotation about a longitudinal axis, means for attaching said article to said elongated electrode with its adhesive pile retaining faces facing away from the axis of rotation of said electrode, means for impressing an electrical potential between said electrodes during travel of said carriage over said lower electrode, and means for rotating said elongated electrode and the attached article to repeatedly move said adhesive faces across the electrical field between said electrodes.

15. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to an elongated article having longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile retaining faces which comprises an elongated chamber, an endless belt extending longitudinally of said chamber, an elongated electrode in said chamber extending longitudinally beneath said belt and adjacent thereto, a carrier mounted to travel through said chamber parallel to and over said belt, an elongated elec trode mounted on said carrier in a position parallel to said lower electrode for rotation about a longitudinal axis, means for attaching said article to said elongated electrode with its adhesive pile retaining faces facing away from the axis of rotation of said electrode, means for impressing an electrical potential between said electrodes during travel of said carriage over said lower electrode including an electrically charged conductor rail disposed parallel to the direction of travel of said carriage, and means for rotating said elongated electrode and for electrically connecting said rail thereto comprising spaced teeth on said rail, a gear wheel on said carriage engaging said teeth and gearing connecting said gear wheel to said electrode.

16. Apparatus for applying a fibrous pile to an elongated article having longitudinally contiguous angularly disposed adhesive pile retaining faces which comprises an elongated chamber, an endless belt extending longitudinally of said chamber, an elongated electrode in said chamber extending longitudinally beneath said belt and adjacent thereto, a carrier mounted to travel through said chamber parallel to and over said belt, an elongated electrode mounted on said carrier in a position parallel to said lower electrode for rotation about a longitudinal axis, means for attaching said article to said elongated electrode with its adhesive pile retaining faces facing away from the axis of rotation of said electrode, arail disposed parallel to said carriage alongside its path of travel and provided with spaced upwardly projecting teeth, a vertical shaft journaled in said carriage, a star wheel attached to said shaft and engaging said teeth to impart rotation to said shaft during travel of said car-' riage over the lower electrode, and means for impressing an electrical potential between said electrodes during travel of said carriage over said lower electrode.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dreyfus July 13, '1937 

1. THE HEREIN DESCRIBED METHOD OF APPLYING A PILE COMPOSED OF ELONGATED FIBERS TO AN ELONGATED ARTICLE HAVING LONGITUDINALLY CONTIGUOUS ANGULARLY DISPOSED ADHESIVE PILE RETAINING FACES WHICH COMPRISES IMPRESSING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ACROSS TWO SUPERPOSED ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ELECTRODES, SUPPLYING SAID FIBERS TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES AND ADJACENT THE LOWER ELECTRODE TO CAUSE FIBERS TO BE ELECTRICALLY CHARGED AND PROJECTED TOWARD THE UPPER ELECTRODE, POSITIONING SAID ARTICLE ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND PARALLEL TO SAID ELECTRODES, AND MOVING SAID ARTICLE ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO A LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO REPEATEDLY MOVE SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED ADHESIVE FACES LATERALLY OVER SAID SUPPORTING SUFACE BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES AND INTERMITTENTLY INTO AND OUT OF THE ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES TO RELIEVE ELECTROSTATIC ATTRACTION BETWEEN FIBERS AND ANGULARLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM POSITIONS NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FIBERS. 